Tree felling by TfL (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Please set out the overall policies that TfL adopts towards tree cutting and felling alongside London Underground lines, specifying (a) the consultation undertaken with local residents, (b) measures adopted to minimise tree felling where feasible, and (c) the specific timeframes adopted for tree cutting and felling to avoid the breeding season for nesting birds.

The Mayor: Tree felling is only carried out to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the Tube network. As such, Transport for London’s (TfL) approach to the design and ongoing management of landscape and vegetation strives to ensure as far as reasonably practicable the following points:
TfL is also committed to enhancing biodiversity where possible. Since 2016, TfL has installed thousands of bird boxes following vegetation management works. TfL is also creating its own vegetation nursery, which will allow a tailored planting programme in areas where inspections have identified a lack of biodiversity.
While the size of the Tube network means it is necessary to carry out this work throughout the year, staff are regularly briefed on ecology and nesting as part of ensuring all legal requirements are met. Sites are assessed prior to and during works, and if a nest is found the work is stopped and a buffer zone of vegetation is left in place. Work is then completed at a later date.
While TfL does not carry out public consultation regarding safety critical works, local residents are notified in advance of significant levels of tree felling due to be carried out in their area.

Advice about Middle-Door Boarding

Keith Prince: Please provide me with (a) a copy of the advice upon which TfL based its 17 April decision to commence to middle-door boarding, and (b) any drafts, analyses and correspondence (including emails or handwritten notes) associated with this decision.

The Mayor: I have asked Transport for London (TfL) to provide you with a copy of the assessment of the middle door boarding trial and recommended next steps. The trial commenced on 10 April on nine routes and was supported with driver and customer communications. The trial monitored the implementation of middle door boarding and its impact on social distancing measures for both drivers and customers. TfL’s decision to implement middle door boarding was taken following full engagement with representatives of Unite the Union and the bus operating companies.

Disorder in Brixton (2)

Peter Whittle: In the scenes of violent disorder in Brixton on the night of 24/25 June 2020, following the Brixton Black Lives Matter live music protest’, how many people were arrested and charged by the Metropolitan Police?

The Mayor: No one was arrested on the day. The MPS informed me that, so far, five people have been arrested, two of whom have been charged, the other three were released on police bail.
The MPS is currently seeking identification of or working on information about 15 others.

Spit Guards

Jennette Arnold: Please provide the demographic breakdown of suspects who have been placed in a spit hood by the MPS in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date.

The Mayor: Please see the table below:
Age
2017 (Apr – Dec)
2018
2019
2020 (Jan – May)
Under 11
0
0
0
0
11-16
21
25
42
0
18-34
149
458
779
498
35-49
71
258
356
304
50-64
61
46
72
100
65+
0
3
4
6
Other
11
50
62
37
Ethnicity
2017 (Apr – Dec)
2018
2019
2020 (Jan – May)
Asian
21
71
91
77
Black
73
229
410
310
Chinese
0
2
2
0
Mixed
7
22
36
30
White
145
442
668
513
Other
11
50
62
37

Section 60 use

Unmesh Desai: How many section 60 orders were issued in each of the past 12 months? Please break down this data by borough.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data for the period specified, broken down by month and London borough.

Black Lives Matter (2)

Peter Whittle: On 10 June 2020, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu the Metropolitan Police’s head of counter-terrorism issued a statement through Scotland Yard's Press Office - condemning the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and bemoaning: 'the racial bias built into the very fabric of our institutions and society'. Regardless of whether you share or endorse that particular opinion, is it ever appropriate for a senior officer of the Metropolitan Police to make a personal statement of this kind?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52989109

The Mayor: The brutal killing of George Floyd has rightly ignited fury and anguish not just in the USA, but around the world. This tragic incident has not only put policing globally under increased scrutiny, but has also put into focus the painful reality of the structural inequalities in our society – and rightly so.
I am committed to increasing trust and confidence in policing in London, particularly in London’s Black communities that have been disproportionality affected by policing tactics. This is why I have commissioned an Action Plan for improving trust and confidence, transparency and accountability in policing. This Action Plan will be informed by workshops that bring together communities and the police.
With regards to AC Neil Basu’s intervention, I believe it is crucial to hear the voices of Black and minority officers and staff – across all ranks – to ensure a fairer police service for all, for example by understanding the experience of Black police officers and staff.